My Moving Castle
by hollygolightly01
Summary: Ever wondered how Howl felt about his new cleaning lady, the Witch of the Waste, and his ladies? Find out here!DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of Ms Wynne Jones' characters, just borrowing them!


Chapter 1

It all started on May Day, Michael's 15th birthday. He seemed pretty excited since it was one day on the road to old age and wrinkles, but apparently he doesn't really care about those. Calcifer whipped up some celebratory flames that poured out of the chimney in great blue mushrooms and exploded magnificently. I thought they went rather well with the festive atmosphere- the streamers, the bands, the bunting, and the hordes and hordes of people dancing and flirting below us in Market Chipping.

Michael had mentioned to Calcifer a while back that he wanted to try one of the cakes from Cesari's, so after saying goodbye to Calcifer and passing my right hand four times over the door knob, in case of unwanted intruders, I took his arm and we walked off the edge of the headland and stepped through the air. Michael had only been flying with me once before and I knew he'd be pleased.

"Watch what I'm doing, I'll start teaching you this soon." I said.

Michael looked at me, eyes wide with joy. But the way he was gripping my arm like I was a balloon about to fly away showed how scared he was. We came down to land, springing from gutter to gutter and washing line to washing line, eventually coming down behind a laundry. When I'd been here before, when I was after a cleaning girl, the air had been full of soapy steam which I soon changed to hyacinth blossom. She liked it so much it became my signature scent. Can't remember her name though. I've got a feeling it was Maggie but I can't be sure. Might have been Molly.

I could tell Michael felt much better on his feet and we walked through a narrow archway onto a cobbled alleyway, which led out onto the Market Square. The noise was deafening – maybe the alleyway had been a sound trap – and I found I was almost squinting with the onslaught of colour. Over in front of the Town Hall was a brass band, gleaming in navy and gold braid and all over the square there were couples in pinks, greens, yellows, like boiled sweets. I couldn't help but notice the sheer numbers of girls standing at the edges of the square. I licked my hand and smoothed down my hair (currently blond, I was going for the Nordic look), caught sight of myself in a window and winked. That blue and silver suit really does look good when I'm blond, I decided. Michael had gone on ahead in order to locate Cesari's.

"Howl!" he yelled, turning towards me, "Cesari's is over there!" he brandished his thumb over his shoulder. Curling one side of my mouth up into a wry smile, I followed him out into the light. If it hadn't have been Michael's birthday I would have let him toddle off on his own, but it was a chance for him to have a day just for him after all the awful things that had happened to him this year. He seemed pretty happy really, but I knew he still missed his parents, Calcifer told me.

I could just see Michael's head bobbing some distance away from me, and took the chance to take a quick look at the specimens around me. I'd been getting the usual admiring looks, giggles, and whispers following me anyway – I hardly noticed them anymore, but none of the girls seemed in any way different from the many who'd come before them. They were all being whisked away to dance as well. I looked over the top of the crowd and saw Michael going into the bakery, and was just trying to get round a rather large, sweaty man in an ill-fitting tweed suit when I saw her.

She was wearing a rather plain grey dress, with a high collar and long sleeves. It looked about 10 years out of date, and the colour didn't really suit her. But she had this beautiful coppery hair that shimmered in the light, even though it was all tied back in a sleek but practical bun. She gathered her shawl a bit tighter around her shoulders and looked around, vaguely overwhelmed by the noise. When she spun round, I saw her face. I tell you, it struck me. I felt something where my heart used to be, a sort of thump in the chest. It could have just been Calcifer manoeuvring the castle but that would be some scary coincidence. I had to talk to her, to hear what her voice sounded like. I'd never had a redhead before.

With a wave of my hand I cleared a pathway for me through the crowd, and I walked over to her and took her elbow. She whirled round, frightened, and I was fixed in the glare of two blue-green eyes. She pulled her arm away and shrank back into the doorway of the delivery entrance to Cesari's. She looked so fragile and timid. I couldn't help but say

"It's all right, you little grey mouse."

She seemed to take offence at this and so I laughed, trying to put her at ease. She seemed even more offended at that.

"I only want to buy you a drink. Don't look so scared." I said.

I'd thrown her; clearly this was the last thing she expected.

"Oh, no thank you, if you please, sir, I'm on the way to see my sister." She stuttered.

I laughed again, mainly to ease my own embarrassment. As if I'd put her off! Normally I can tell girls that I'd rather shag their mothers than them and they'll still drool over me. Don't tell me I'm losing my touch?

"Then by all means do so!" I said gallantly, extending a hand. I love putting my hand out, it means people can see how gorgeous my suit is.

"Who am I to keep a pretty lady from her sister? Would you like me to go with you, since you seem so scared?"

I decided to try a different tack; instead of being my usual dramatic and debonair self, I could be the simple, unassuming country boy whose kind words helped bring a young girl out of her shell, to fall in love with me. Gotcha.

"No. No thank you, sir!" she said breathlessly. And get this… she ran away past me!

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe I couldn't even get her to let me walk with her. By the time I turned round, she'd disappeared into the crowds.

Thank God Michael was already inside so he couldn't see that terrible exchange. I'm not having him thinking that I might fail in charming the ladies. _O pidyn._


End file.
